Kathleen Sharpe is a senior manager in government and the cultural sector.  She has been Executive Director of the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund since its inception in 1999.  The Fund, a unique program established to support cultural tourism attractions through a combination of grants and loans, has committed over $60 million to more than 600 cultural tourism projects around Ontario. Prior to OCAF, Kathleen was Director of the Culture Division of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, a post she held from 1991 until amalgamation of the municipality into the City of Toronto in 1998.  

Kathleen’s leadership led to the adoption by Metro Council of its first comprehensive cultural policy, Metro’s Culture Plan, in 1994.  She managed the transition of cultural programs and staff of 150 during the changeover from Metro to the new amalgamated City of Toronto.  Kathleen has also held management positions at the Ontario College of Art and Design and The Banff Centre.  Kathleen is president of the Canadian Conference of the Arts, chair of the Toronto Arts Foundation board; past-chair of Toronto Artscape; and most recently has become a member of the newly formed Civic Theatres board. She sits on many advisory committees including those for Nuit Blanche, the Ontario Not for Profit Network and Canadian Pluralism in the Arts in Ontario.